3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles
3:2 Surely you have heard about the administration of Gods grace that was given to me for you,
3:3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
3:4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
3:5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to Gods holy apostles and prophets.
3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
3:7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of Gods grace given me through the working of his power.
3:8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lords people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
3:9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
3:11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
3:13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
3:18 may have power, together with all the Lords holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
3:19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledgethat you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The apostle Paul had gone to prison for preaching the gospel of Our lord Jesus Christ.This occurred in Jerusalem when Paul was arrested by Jews who thought he had taken a Gentile into an inappropriate area of the temple (Acts 21:7—22:29). From that moment forward, Paul would spend a total of four to five years in custody, between jail and transit to house arrest in Rome.To make the transition, in this chapter, Paul refers to his own calling by Our Heavenly Father and prays for the spiritual strength of the Ephesian church. The Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of Our Heavenly Father’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.The secret plan is that Our Heavenly Father always intended to bring Gentiles, the non-Jewish peoples of the world, into fellowship with himself, on equal terms with his ancient people the Jews. And the good news—the ‘gospel’—is that God accomplished this through Jesus the Jewish Messiah, Jesus who is also the world’s true Lord. Every spiritual blessing, and He enumerates quite a number of them—redemption, pardon, adoption, sanctification—they’re all to be found in Jesus Christ and only in Jesus Christ. The believer is confronted by the apostle Paul’s prayer for the Church to be open to the mystery, power, and a new form of identity believers share in Christ Jesus. The object of the long prayer is God alone, “experienced and approached as Father” (verse 14), to whom Paul petitions for the strengthening of the believers’ condition. Paul’s prayer is for Christ to dwell in the hearts of believers as the sign of ‘genuine’ conversion of faith. Paul informs the Ephesian Christians: God has revealed to me a great mystery, namely that both Jews and Gentiles are united as one in the body of Christ.
Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that Christ, in all of his fullness would dwell in our brothers and sisters who we have in our minds, through faith. Jesus Christ in all of your fullness, dwell in them, we pray. So that they, being rooted and grounded in love. In the name of Our lord and savior we pray.
Lord Jesus; Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and I know you will answer my prayers. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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